Contactor.



- PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

G. H. HILL. CONTAGTOR. APPLICATION FILED p20. 31, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mm T w Mr 0 e s Witnesses;

A oby.

been made 0 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. HILL, OF SOHENEOTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CONTACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 28, 1908.

Application filed. December 81, 1903. Serial No. 187,287;

The invention relates more particularly to that type of contactoremployed in systems of motor-control in which a motor-controller of theseparately-actuated contact type under the control of themaster-controller is employed.

In electromagnetically-actuated switches especially adapted for thepurpose above stated and whlch are control ed from a distance, theoperating parts have heretofore quite heavy material, and the movablecontact-fingers of the switches have been pivotally connected to theframe on which the actuating means for said fingers ismounted.

The object of my invention is to produce a more simple construction ofthe contactor or switch, and to this end I substitute for the heavypivoted castings forming the movable contact-finger a spring armor stripof springconducting material rigidly fastened to the.

supporting frame and constructed in such a manner as toallow aslidingengagement of the contacts of the switch.

Some of the advantages of my improved construction of contact-fingerover the standard construction. lies in the omission of hingedconnections and heavy castings with a consequent reduction of wear, andalso in the omission of the shunt in the electrical circuit around saidhinged connections. The reduction of the weight of the contact-fingercauses an increase inthe rapidity of movement of the contactor and bythe use of a spring contact-finger so mounted that it will exert somesaid contactor and Figs. :5 and 4 are side and front elevationsrespectively of the contact'or.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the to and hottom plates of the frame uponwhich the ac tuating coil is mounted are represented by 5 and 6respectively. The said plates are held,

together by means of bolts 8 (shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4). theactuating coil 7 is indicated by 9. The movable core 10 passes throughan opening 11 in the bottom plate 6 and has pivotally mounted at12 onits lower end a stlrrup 13. The movable contact-finger or fingers 14 arerigidly fastened at one-end 15 to the bottom plate 6 and pass throughand are supported y the stirrup 13. Inthe'contactor illustrated', 'twomovable contact-fingers operated by the same coil are'shown, (seeespecially Fig. 4), but it will of course be understood that one or anynumber of contact-fingers may be. employed and other means aside fromthe specific means shown may be used for operatlvely connecting thespring iinger or fingers to the core .1() or other actuating means.Mounted within the stirrup 13 are twobow-shaped pieces of material 16each of which carries a lug 17 which engages a recess 18 formed in thelower part of the stirrup 13. The bow-shaped pieces 16 form bearingplates on which'the contact-fingers operate during the opening andclosing movements of the switch. The cooperating lug and. recess 17 and18 prevent the pieces 16 from be normal operationot' the contac -or,while at the same time they allow the said pieces 16 to move in saidstirrup with a rocking motion which p'ermits great freedom of move ment0f the fingers 14. The lingers 14 preferably carry removable .contacttips 19 which are adapted to engage the fixed contacts 20 within theblowout chute 21. Mounted on the insulating plate22 within tlnhousin 23above the blow-out chute 21 is thecoi 24 of the blow-out magnet, thecore of which is designated by 25 and the poles by 26. The sides of theblow-out chute adjacent the contacts are provided with pieces 27 offire-resisting material. The bind ing-posts or terminals through whichthe circuit con.- nections are made are indicated by 28 and '29reslpectively. V

eferring now to Fig. 2, it will be clearly seen how the circuitconnections for this con tactor are" made. The controlled circuit Thefixed core ofing moved out of the stirrup 13 during the may be tracedfrom the terminal 28 through the spring contact-finger 14, the contacttips 19 and 20 and then through the blow-out coil vention as applied toan electromagnetically-- actuated contact, it will be'clear that theactuating means may be any other desired power, and in'the claims heretoa ended I aim to cover all modifications whic do not involve a departurefrom the spirit and scopeof my invention. 1

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited. States, is,

I. In a power actuated switch, a fixed contact member, a movable contactmember comprising a curved spring strip rigidly secured at one end andbiased for movement I away from the fixed contact, a solenoid, and acore in said solenoid loosely connected to o the curved portion of said.spring strip intermediate its ends, whereby the latter is moved intosliding engagement with said fixed contact.

2. In a power-actuated switch, a movable contact-finger composed. of astrip of springconducting material rigidly fastened at one end, a rodcarrying a stirrup through which said contact-finger loosely passes,means foroperating said rod, and a bearing plate carried by said stirrupon which said contactfinger operates during the opening and closingmovements of the switch.

3. In an electric switch, a fixed contact member, a movable contactmember comprising a curved spring strip rigidly secured at one end, andmeans for moving the free end of said strip into engagement with thefixed contact and changing the curvature of the strip to produce asliding connection.

4. In an electric switch, a fixed contact member, a movable contactmember comprising a curved spring strip rigidly secured atone end, andmeans for moving the, 'free end of said strip into engagement with the aloose connection between said spring strip and the actuating means.

6. In an electric switch, an electromagnet,

a frame within which said electromagnet is arranged, a fixed contactsupported upon said frame at one side of the electromagnet, and a'U-shaped spring strip secured by one arm to said frame. at a pointopposite the fixed contact and having its other arm clon gated andprovidedwith a contact piece, together with a loose connection betweenthe elongated arm of said spring strip and the core ofthe-electromagnet.

71 In an electric switch, an electromagnet, a frame within which saidelectromagnet is arranged, afixed contact supported upon said frame atone side of the electromagnet, and'a curved spring stri secured to theframe at the-opposite si. e, of the electro magnet and provided withacontact piece at its free end, together with a loose connection betweensaid spring strip and the core of the ele'ctromagnet.

8. In an electric switch, a fixed contact, a movable contact adapted tomake a wiping or sliding contact therewith, the engaging surfaces ofsaid contacts being adapted to meet in a plane substantially at rightangles to the motion of said movable contact, .a curved spring stripfixed at one endand carrying said movable contact at its other end, andan electromagnet having its core-loosely connected to said springstri Inwitness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of December.1903.

GEORGE H. HILL.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. hone,

MAReARE'r 'E. WOOLLEY.

